Entropy and Possibilities
by Lucifer's Favorite
Summary: "Anything is possible for a Possible!" The world is about to find out just much truth there is to this simple family motto.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: And now, for something I'm sure no one expected from me. This is my first foray into this fandom, but Kigo was my first ship, before I even knew what shipping was. I've been wanting to write a Kim Possible fic for a while now, and I finally was able to come up with a good enough plot to make a proper story. Let me know what you think!**

I

"Good morning, Ms. Possible. I'm Dr. Olivia Hart; how are you today?"

"Is that a trick question?" Kim asked, leaning forward in her seat. The _clink_ of metal on metal filled the otherwise quiet room as she shifted position.

"Right, I apologize; that was insensitive. Why don't you just start by telling me about the man at the center of all this." Dr. Hart visibly relaxed herself, trying to convey herself as being as 'at ease' as she could. The jacket of her maroon suit was slung onto the back of her chair, and the binder containing the files she'd brought today was placed on the table three feet away.

"Well I hope you weren't looking for anything too in depth. I'll tell you what I told all the other doctors: Victor Regis was a walking disease who got what he deserved, and I didn't exactly get to know him on a personal level before he died. But you already knew what I was going to say, didn't you?" Kim smirked as she sat back again, as much as she could. "I'm sure you watched the tapes from my other 'interviews', so you should know how this'll go: you ask me a lot of questions that you could get the answers to from my file, I give you a lot of unhelpful responses, and eventually, you get frustrated and give up while I go back to the lovely accommodations given to me by Global Justice after I risked my life to stop the latest egotistical lunatic with delusions of grandeur."

"I'll admit, that's an accurate report of the previous sessions, but I can assure you, I'm not like those other doctors."

Kim tilted her head. "And precisely how are you so different?" She would have crossed her arms if that had been at all possible, but settled for an arched brow.

"Kim, I may be blonde, but I'm smart enough to see through that façade you've put up, and I'm as stubborn as any red-head, including you. Those other doctors, I'm certain they're competent in their craft, but they came in expecting to handle you the same way they handle anyone whose last name isn't Possible. I'm aware that your family is virtually unmatched in the art of wit, and nearly every generation in its lineage has made a notable contribution to either the scientific community or a humanitarian effort, all of which majorly affected their respective paradigms."

"You've done your research; I'll give you that. But what makes you so sure you're up for the job?" Kim drummed her left-hand fingers on the table between them, and Dr. Hart noticed that her nails were cracked and unkempt, and her knuckles were bright red, standing out in stark contrast to the rest of her skin.

"I'm something of a specialist when it comes to dealing with the people in your world. You're not my first case involving the extrahuman, though you may be the most unique." She looked behind Kim to the room's only two other occupants. "Could you give us the room?"

"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" One of the men asked.

"Am I sure that I don't need armed protection from the woman who has put her own life on the line countless times to save the rest of us? Yes, I'm quite sure; please, leave."

"Alright, if you say so; we'll be right outside the door, so just yell if you need us."

"I appreciate your concern, but I highly doubt that will be necessary." Dr. Hart insisted. She waved them away, and the two guards left without arguing again.

"You probably should have listened to them." Kim said. "I'm sure you've heard by now that I'm some kind of dangerous killer, that I can't be trusted anymore, that I'm one stressful afternoon from snapping completely."

"They did mention something along those lines, yes. However, aside from our friend Mr. Regis, I see no evidence to corroborate that."

"Really?" Kim asked in disbelief. "Did they not show you what happened at Purgatory?"

"I saw the footage, but they neglected to inform me where it was taken from. Could you tell me why you were there?"

Kim shrugged. "Betty needed a place to keep me while they prepped a cell that could contain me properly, and where better to hold the girl who can do anything than the highest-grade prison for super criminals in the world?"

"Alright, I'd like to circle back in a minute for a couple of questions, but yes, I saw the video of you taking down at least a hundred adversaries single-handedly, and while that is certainly impressive, not one of those individuals was left with anything worse than a few broken bones and missing teeth."

"I'm also a master in sixteen styles of Kung-Fu." Kim pointed out, not acknowledging Dr. Hart's last point.

"And, again, that is impressive; in fact, I heard they recently dubbed you an honorary eleventh degree simply because all your opponents were so ludicrously outmatched."

"That's right." Kim affirmed. "And even knowing that, you don't think I'm capable of killing people?"

"Physically, yes, I believe that if you were so inclined, you could end the life of any individual on Earth. But emotionally, psychologically? I wouldn't be convinced by an army of logicians that Kim Possible could ever be a murderer."

Kim made no response, but Dr. Hart didn't expect her to.

"Now, back to those other questions I had. Perkinsons Extrahuman Correctional Facility. You say Dr. Director only kept you there because she needed time to make a prison even you couldn't escape from?"

"Right again."

Dr. Hart raised an eyebrow. "You're saying you could escape an inescapable prison?"

"Check the name." Kim said. "I believe I can, so they believe I can."

"You take 'can do anything' rather seriously." Dr. Hart commented.

"Haven't been proven wrong yet." Kim pointed out.

"I suppose not." Dr. Hart admitted. "But I myself was wrong earlier, wasn't I? There is one person who can keep pace with you, isn't there?" Kim said nothing, but her expression darkened considerably. "She's the only one still able to challenge you, isn't she? Was she in there, too, or did they move her here straightaway?"

Silence.

"Why don't you tell me about Shego?"

"You've got access to her file, it's probably in that binder right there; it's got all the information you need on her." Kim spoke calmly, but her left hand was digging barely noticeable indents in the reinforced titanium surface to which she was currently shackled, and her ample musculature was tense and pronounced.

"Her file can tell me about her behavior, or her allergies, or even her favorite colour, but you, you can tell me about the person Shego really is."

"A blind man could guess her favorite colour from a mile away." Kim intoned. "But what exactly is it that you do, Dr. Hart? Or, what you're doing here, anyway."

"My job is to understand."

"Understand what?"

"I seek to understand the minds of extraordinary people, Kim; people like you, and Shego, too. I've done this job for thirty years, and I've never met anyone like the two of you."

"So, I'm a science project?" Kim questioned.

"No." Dr. Hart shook her head. "You are much more than that, and it would be a privilege to truly know Kim Possible."

Kim squinted, trying to get a bead on the doctor. "Alright, you wanna get in my head, get to know the 'real me'? We're gonna have to go back to the beginning of this whole mess."

* * *

_Eight Months After Graduation_

_Middleton International Airport_

"Oh, man, it is good to be back in Middleton!" Ron exclaimed as he and Kim descended the steps of a Global Justice jet.

"Come on, Ron, it hasn't been that bad." Kim chided him. "Getting the world back on track after the invasion is important."

"I know, I know. It's just nice to be back home where I can get some real food in my belly instead of all that airplane stuff."

"Bueno Nacho hardly qualifies as 'real food'." Kim deadpanned.

"Hey, the ingredients may be artificial, but the good times are all genuine." Ron defended. "And now that they've finally rebuilt the Middleton franchise, I can once again enjoy mankind's finest culinary achievement."

A familiar beeping interrupted before Kim could continue their banter, and Kim raised her wrist to answer the call. The now teenage tech wizard sat behind a recently upgraded computer system, big gulp soda resting in its usual spot on the desk.

"Hey Wade, what's the sitch?"

"Hey Kim, just got a tip that the good doctor and his assistant are back in business."

"Really." Kim frowned. "I was sure they'd last at least a year."

"You're saying you knew this was gonna happen?" Ron questioned. "How come you didn't say anything?"

"It was just a suspicion; I didn't want to start throwing around unfounded accusations when they'd just turned over a new leaf." Kim said. "Besides, you guys know Shego; this can't be that surprising, at least for her."

"We don't all know Shego as well as you do, Kim." Wade said. "In fact, I think the only person who knows her better than you at this point is Drakken; I seriously thought she'd take the pardon."

"He's got a point, KP." Ron said. "We went up against them like, every other week in high school, and I didn't exactly do a lot of hand to claw combat. And even after they were pardoned, you've pretty much split your free time between me and her."

"Still, it's kind of a bummer." Kim lamented. "We were having a lot of fun together; I kinda hoped she'd wanna milk it for a little while longer before this happened." She shook her head a few times, refocusing on Wade. "Do we actually know what they're up to? And is it actually something illegal?"

"No specifics yet, but part of the terms of their pardon was that they stay where the government could monitor them for two years, and they both dropped off the grid five days ago."

"That would have been just after Ron and I left for Japan." Kim surmised, looking back at the now departing VTOL jet. "Can you find her?"

"You mean find _them_?" Ron asked.

"What?" Kim looked at him in confusion.

"You said 'find her', but we need to find both of them." Ron clarified.

"Uh, right, right, yeah." Kim stammered. "Can you find Drakken and Shego, Wade?"

"Er, yeah, I should be able to get a lead by tomorrow." If Wade noticed Kim's nervousness, he didn't say so. "Talk to you then."

"Booyah! Got the rest of the day off." Ron said excitedly. "You ready to help me make up for lost naco time?"

"Actually, Ron, I'm not really feeling a hundred percent right now, can we take a rain check?"

"Don't worry about it, KP; I've got enough stomach for both of us."

"Yeah, sorry to bail like this, I just… I'm gonna go say hi to my folks."

"Hey, no prob, me and Rufus got it covered, right buddy?"

"Mm hm." The little rodent poked his head out of Ron's pocket at the sound of his name.

"Thanks, guys. I'll see you tomorrow." She waved to both of them and started off towards her parents' newly rebuilt domicile.

* * *

"Shego going AWOL really upset you, huh?" Dr. Hart interrupted. "If it was so predictable and unsurprising, why did it get to you like that?"

"You know, I've heard it said that it's rude to ask questions you already know the answers to." Kim said.

"Fair enough, but weren't you dating Mr. Stoppable at the time? That's what I'd heard, anyway."

"Then your info's out of date. Ron and I broke up pretty soon after graduation and just went back to being friends."

"I'm afraid you'll have to forgive my ignorance." Dr. Hart said. "Global Justice stopped keeping any sort of tabs on Mr. Stoppable after the 'Ron Factor' incident as it was deemed he was only useful in a partnership with someone who knew how to properly utilize his unique skill set."

"Handling Ron requires a delicate touch." Kim agreed. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the story."

* * *

"Mom? Dad? I'm home." Kim called out as she entered the Possible residence."

"Kim, is that you?" Mrs. Possible said from the kitchen."

"Yeah, Mom." Kim walked through the archway. "We just got back from Japan."

"Are you not hanging out with Ron today? I thought you two would have wanted to squeeze in some time together relaxing before being called back into the field."

"Actually, the emergency part of the aftermath is officially over, so Global Justice won't be calling us back out for a while."

"But…?" Mrs. Possible eyed her daughter with concern.

"Shego's missing." Kim stated bluntly. "She and Drakken disappeared a few days ago, and Wade says he should have a location by tomorrow. Is Dad home?"

"Oh, um, he's working late tonight."

"Everything alright, Mom?" Now it was Kim's turn to be worried.

"I'm fine, it's just… I guess I'm still not quite used to you and Shego being friends, especially with her being her… 'normal' self."

"And by 'normal', you mean not having her brainwaves scrambled?" Kim questioned with a raised brow.

"Exactly." Mrs. Possible agreed. "It just seems a little odd to me that you two could become so close after fighting each other for so long."

"Mom, she was under contract with Drakken; it was her job." Kim argued.

"I know it was part of her job, Kimmie, but I've seen you two interact on multiple occasions, and it's not hard to tell she had a personal investment in your rivalry. And I think you did, too."

"Well, it's not like _I _was getting paid; I enjoyed saving the world, and still do. Fighting Shego just happened to be the part I liked the most; you've seen us lose ourselves sparring."

"Seems like a bit more than losing yourselves…" Mrs. Possible said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you two do tend to… grapple, pretty often for a martial arts session."

"Mom, what are you saying?" Kim squinted.

"I don't think I need to spell it out, Kim."

"No, no, please. Spell it out for me."

"Kim. Do you… 'like' Shego?" Kim's face looked like it was trying to one-up her hair at the question.

"What!?" Kim very obviously forced out a laugh. "Mom, I… I gotta go." She made a mad dash for the door, jumping over everything in her path.

"Kimmie, it's okay!" Mrs. Possible called after her daughter. "You know you can't just flip away from your problems, or your feelings!"

* * *

"So, tell me, Kimberly, how is Narnia this time of year?"

"How original." Kim tilted her head to one side.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Dr. Hart smiled. "You seem rather open to telling a stranger something others would be too embarrassed to share."

"You wanted the whole story." Kim shrugged. "And I'm way past being embarrassed at this point in my life."

* * *

Kim's body was on autopilot as she sought refuge from the awkward situation her mother had created. When she finally slowed down and paid attention, she found herself at the entrance to Club Banana.

Kim sighed. "Maybe Monique can provide some normal conversation…" The newly appointed store manager in question was found toward the back of the store, straightening some errant piles. A tap on the shoulder later and Kim was wrapped in a bone crushing hug. "Someone's been working out."

"Well, after the whole graduation fiasco and aliens invading just to spite you, not to mention my lackluster performance as a sidekick, I figured it was time to start hittin' the gym. So what's goin' on with you? Did you just get back?"

"Mm hm. Hey, can I vent for while?"

"No prob, K; 'bout time for me to clock out, anyway." Kim spent the next hour or so catching her friend up on recent events, from what she and Ron did during their time away, to the reason she came there to begin with.

"So I told my mom about the current sitch and now she thinks I have the hots for Shego. Can you believe that?"

"Don't you?" Monique questioned. "I just thought you guys were playing some kind of 'relationship chicken', to see who would say something first."

"Oh, not you, too." Kim put her head in her hands.

"Actually, this might explain why none of your previous hook-ups ever lasted; I mean, I half-expected you and Bonnie to get caught goin' at it at some point."

"Monique!" Kim's voice squeaked out. "So not the kind of imagery I want."

"Really? Because it looks like your nosebleed disagrees with you." Monique smirked.

Kim pulled out her compact, gasping and quickly wiping away the incriminating fluid. "That doesn't prove anything."

"Riiight. Ya know, to be fair, the girl could probably talk a nun into her bed if she really wanted."

"Okay, okay, can you stop with the… _sex talk."_ Kim said, getting much quieter at the end.

"My bad, forgot you still got innocent ears."

"I am not innocent." Kim denied. "I am a fully grown adult; I fight supervillains and save the world as a hobby; in case you don't remember."

"You just whispered the word 'sex'." Monique pointed out.

"That's different." Kim defended. "It's just not an appropriate topic for public conversation."

"Okay, then say a swear."

"What?"

"You heard me. Just say 'fuck' one time, and I'll admit you're not innocent."

"Alright, I will." Kim said, then proceeded to make the 'f' sound several times before getting frustrated. "This is ridiculous, can we get back to talking about the actual problem here?"

"And that would be?"

"Shego and Drakken dropping off the face of the planet." Kim reminded her.

"Right, the _other_ Shego problem. Well, you know I'm always here for moral support, but I'm not sure what else I can do for you here."

Kim let her forehead rest on the table. "I know, I just wish I could do _something_ other than wait for Wade to call me again."

"You up for a little shopping? That always makes me feel better."

"Thanks, Mo, but I kinda ditched Ron earlier, and it would feel a little, I don't know, rude, I guess, to spend the day with someone else when I already told him I was gonna stay home for the night. I think I'm gonna follow that up for real, and just, avoid my mom this time."

"Alright, well good luck with that." Monique said as they both stood to leave. Another quick hug later, and Kim headed back home.

* * *

The journey back to the Possible residence was a much slower experience than leaving had been; Kim wasn't particularly eager to get there, but going anywhere else just seemed to draining right now.

Sneaking in was hardly a challenge for someone of Kim's skill set, but her nerves refused to calm down until she'd actually closed her door behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief at having managed to navigate the house without running into her mother, and after checking her wrist for both the time and to see if she had somehow missed a notification from Wade, Kim figured it was late enough to just go to bed and get this day over with.

After a shower that was probably longer than necessary and changing into her purple pjs, Kim was ready to finally lie down for the night, but was stopped short by the sight of her mother sitting on her bed.

"Aw, c'mon."

"Now, hold on." Mrs. Possible interrupted her daughter's complaints. "I know our little talk earlier made you… uncomfortable, but I didn't want to just leave it the way we did. So, are you feeling okay?"

Kim let out a tired sigh and took a seat next to her. "No. Things are finally settling down out there, only for something in my personal life to get completely uprooted. These last eight months have been so hectic, even I was ready for some down time. But then one of my friends goes missing, and I gotta get back out there to find her literally the next day, and I just wish things would be a little boring for once in my life."

Mrs. Possible leaned back, resting on her forearms. "You have no idea how many times I've wished for the same thing."

"Raising the tweebs? I think I might have some idea."

"Fair point." Her mother laughed. "My side of the family isn't nearly as exciting as your father's, but sometimes, a bit of mundanity would be a nice change of pace."

"Hey, Mom, how come we never get to see your side of the family?" Kim asked.

"I'm afraid my relatives aren't entirely supportive of the Possible family lifestyle, particularly yours."

"They don't like what I do?" Kim knit her brows. "Are they villains, or something?"

"No, they're nothing like that. They're just, more… conservative. They don't think it 'proper' behavior for a young woman to be a globe-trotting vigilante."

"Ugh." Kim rolled her eyes, then immediately caught herself. "Sorry, that was rude. I've just heard that too many times in my life."

"It's alright, I get it." Her mother assured her. "You wouldn't believe how up in arms they got when they heard I was going to medical school to be a brain surgeon instead of a nurse."

"Well that's just kind of… sad, to be honest." Kim let herself lie all the way back, resting her head on her arms. "Who wouldn't want their kid to succeed at their dreams?" She gave a deep exhale. "I guess I can understand why you wouldn't have invited them here."

"Believe me, I would have loved for you to be able to meet your grandparents, but there would be too many issues for it to be worth it."

"Yeah." Kim agreed. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and go to sleep."

"Oh, of course." Mrs. Possible stood to leave. "Good night, Kimmie."

"Night, Mom." Kim said as the light switch was flipped, plunging the room into darkness.

* * *

"Y'know, Kimmie-cub, you stare at that any harder and you just might break it."

Kim sighed, taking her focus off her wrist and back to her breakfast. "Sorry, Dad, I'm just getting really antsy about this whole thing. I don't think I've ever wanted a mission to be over with faster." Silence reigned for mere seconds before a thought occurred to her. "It's too quiet here. Where are the tweebs?"

"Your brothers decided to get a head start on their college education; they're taking a tour of MIST today."

"Already? Seems a little early, with them being sophomores."

"Well, as it turns out, Jim and Tim have kept _very_ busy in their spare time. In fact, any remaining time they spend in high school is a formality at this point." Kim was going to make a complaint about that putting them in the same year of schooling as her, but was spared the effort by the beeping from her Kimmunicator.

"Whaddya got, Wade?"

"Good morning to you, too, Kim." Wade said with mock-sarcasm. "As for what I got? Not much, but enough. My scanners were pinged a few hours ago, and I just found the source somewhere deep in the Amazon."

"I don't follow." Kim frowned.

"Then get this. It just so happens that there's a safehouse at the approximate coordinates the ping came from, purchased under the name of one Drew Lipsky."

"Guess I get to get out of the cold, at least. Ride?"

"On its way."

"Ron?"

"Notified."

"Thanks Wade, you rock." Kim ended the call, giving a quick goodbye to her father and rushing out to meet her transportation.

* * *

"You ready, Ron?" Kim asked as they neared their drop location.

"Ready for this to be search and rescue instead of search and destroy, for once? Absolutely."

"We do not do 'search and destroy'." Kim argued.

"You might wanna check your math on that one, KP; I can count on one hand the number of evil lairs we've left intact."

"Yeah, but it's not like anyone's died."

"That we know of." Ron pointed out. "We don't do official mission reports, no paperwork. We just hand over the bad guys and go home. You don't think that with all the random henches we've fought over the years, a few of 'em might not have made it out when the fireworks started going off?"

"Hold on." Kim rubbed her temples. "You're not usually this… logical. You've been talking to Shego, haven't you?"

"Maybe. What gave it away?"

"Grey morality is her favorite subject of conversation… after herself, anyway." She started putting on her parachute and goggles, signaling for him to do the same. "Time to get to work."

Normally, free falling from several thousand feet still managed to give her an adrenaline rush, even after years of hero work, but today she was far too worried to enjoy it. Similarly, trekking through jungle underbrush evoked little more than dread as they pressed on.

"So, uh, how we lookin', ETA wise?" Ron asked after about an hour of walking.

"Well, according to the map Wade sent, we should be able to see the place any second now." Several more minutes went by, the sounds of the Amazon continued to drone on, punctuated by other, more suspicious noises here and there.

"You think that's it?" Ron pointed to a cabin sitting twenty feet up, supported by a cluster of trees.

"Good enough for me." Kim sprinted to cover the remaining distance, throwing herself up the available ladder several rungs at a time. The moment she was at the top, she started rapid-fire knocking on the door and waited a few seconds for an answer. Receiving none, she had the wooden door open and off its hinges with a well-placed kick, and stepped inside.

"I think that might have been excessive force, KP." Ron said after finally making it to the landing. "I mean, how do we know for sure this isn't somebody else's place."

"Doubtful. Wade already confirmed the safehouse is the only man-made structure for fifty miles in any direction." She knew that much to be true, and while it was clear _someone_ had been staying here recently, there was really nothing to indicate either Shego or Drakken directly. No personal affects, no out of place scorch marks, and not even any technology other than a small tv and basic lighting.

With no leads and no clues presenting themselves, Kim sat down on the bed to weigh their options, followed shortly after by Ron. They could go out and search the surrounding area, or they could wait here. Neither option was especially appealing, but before a decision of any kind could be made, the sound of someone ascending the ladder reached her ears, and she opened the bedroom door a crack to look back into the main room. Kim hadn't been seen yet, but the same couldn't be said for the front door.

"Who's in here?! Show yourself"

* * *

"…And?" Dr. Hart prompted. "What happened?"

"Sorry, but you'll have to tune in next week to find out." Kim said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'll be happy to continue, but you need to do something for me, first."

"And that would be?"

"I want a phone call."

"A… phone call?" The request through her for a loop; she hadn't expected something so… simple. "To whom? I doubt Dr. Director will let you talk to- "

"I know." Kim interrupted her. "They won't even let us be on the same side of the building, much less have an actual conversation. I wanna talk to Ron."

"Well, that may still be a hassle to get approved, but I'll see what I can do."

"If you say so." Kim said noncommittally. "We're on your schedule for this; I've got nothing but time, here."

Dr. Hart stood to leave, gathering her things. "You'll get your phone call." She said, this time much more firmly. She cast one more glance at Kim, noting the dull look in her eyes, before finally taking her leave.

* * *

**A/N: In case you're wondering, this story was partially inspired by works such as _Emerald Rogue_ and _The Worst Possible Sitch. _It's honestly a shame we'll never get to see the end of them.**

**BTW, this is a working title, and I may change it at a later date, but idk, the title is always the hardest part of making any new story for me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, it's been a long time coming, and here it is. I'll keep this note short and get right to responding to reviews.**

**gerbilHunter: I appreciate the feedback. It's always good to know I've caught peoples' interest right off the bat, and I hope the rest of the story can keep with it.**

**Capt'nOd3ssy: Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far.**

**RandomAnon: Noted and fixed, thank you.**

**athena fire fist: Not to worry, I've successfully gotten back into my flow.**

II

Kim tapped away at the table impatiently. She'd been waiting here for over half an hour, and if she wasn't so desperate to talk to her friend, she would have asked to be escorted back to her room already.

"Listen, I don't care what your orders are, she is a human being who, by all rights, deserves a medal of honor at the absolute minimum for all that she's given to the world, not locked up like a rabid animal."

"Actually, recent lab results show evidence she may not be entirely-"

"You're missing the point on purpose, aren't you? Agent Du, is it? Just get me on the line with Dr. Director."

"...Very Well." Du said hesitantly, dialing his superior on a communicator. "Ma'am, Dr. Hart wishes to speak with you."

"Fine, fine, just be quick about it." Betty said irritably. "Hello, Dr. Hart. Is Kimberly proving to be too much to handle already?"

"As a matter of fact, Ms. Possible has been perfectly amicable so far, but the same cannot be said of your subordinate Mr. Du, here."

"Ahem, it is Agent, Dr. Hart." The only response he got was a deadpan stare from the doctor.

"As I was saying, I promised that girl in there a phone call, and I intend to deliver."

"Dr. Hart, I strongly advise you to reconsider." Betty said. "The potential threat that Kim Possible poses has been deemed too high to allow even the slightest chance of escape."

Dr. Hart sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, I'm aware your organization has a foot in the door of most developed countries' governments, and I respect that you know what you're doing most of the time, but it is inhumane the way you've isolated her. Dr. Director, my word carries immense weight when it comes to matters involving anything extrahuman, and I have friends in very high places, most of which I'm certain you wouldn't want seeing this place in a less than positive light. So, I will put this simply: if I am not allowed in there, cellphone in hand, in the next thirty seconds, I will personally condemn 'Global Justice' to a media nightmare the likes of which no PR team on Earth will be able to save you from."

"...Understood." Betty said flatly. "Du, let her in."

"Ma'am, are you sure we should listen to-"

"That's an order, William." Betty cut him off. He nodded to the guards in front of the door, and they stepped aside to allow Dr. Hart entrance.

"Dr. Director, I'm not normally one to question you, but why are we giving in to her demands? She could easily be bluffing."

"You don't pay much attention to extrahuman affairs, do you?" Betty asked.

"No. Other than Shego, they've almost never been on our radar; they were never our problem."

"That's true, most of the time, they don't present enough of a threat to warrant our resources, but every so often one would get big enough to grab our attention, correct?"

"Yes, but the problem was almost universally resolved before we would even have time to put together a strike team."

"And who was the one taking care of those problems?"

"...Kim Possible, Ma'am"

"Correct, and with or without powers, she has easily become one of the fiercest and most well-known members of that community. In the past, our dealings with Team Possible were off the record, but now that we have arrested not only her, but Shego as well, we are officially affiliated with the extrahuman, which means we have to play by their rules; it's a much different ball game than we're used to."

"And Dr. Hart?"

"She has close ties with the people who make those rules, so as long as she's here, barring Kim Possible leaving this facility or having contact with Shego, you will do your best to accommodate her, understood?"

"Affirmative, Dr. Director."

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Possible." Dr. Hart said as she took her seat.

"You can call me Kim. I take it you actually came through?"

"I did, though Dr. Director took a hefty bit of convincing." She input the desired number and set her phone on its stand. Seconds later, the confused face of Ron Stoppable appeared on screen.

"Hello, who- Kim? They let you out?"

"Afraid not, Ron." Kim said, quickly wiping away the moisture building in the corners of her eyes. "This is sort of a special exception. Where are you right now?"

"I'm at Wade's house with your brothers; we're tryin' to think of a way to help you guys, but we're kinda stumped on any legal ideas."

"Ron, I need you to listen to me." Kim said seriously, instantly grabbing his full attention. "I want you to put this project on hold."

"Wait, you don't want us to help you?"

"Not yet, but when I do, I will let you know, understand?" Kim raised both eyebrows, trying to convey a message without words.

Ron looked puzzled for a few seconds before his eyes widened and he took on an expression of understanding. "I got it, KP; I'll wait for your word."

"Spankin', now, can I talk to my brothers?" Ron agreed and brought Jim and Tim into the frame.

"Kim, what's it like in prison?" Jim asked.

"Have you already beaten up the biggest inmate?" Tim followed.

"It's not that kind of prison, guys." Kim said. "It's actually worse, in a lot of ways. Anyway, how are Mom and Dad doing?"

"Well, we finally got Dad to stop trying to march on Global Justice by himself to strap Betty to a rocket."

"I don't think Mom was too upset with the idea, though."

"That would be a sight to see." Kim laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he succeeded, either. What about you guys? How's college stuff going?"

"Uh, not that great right now; we're not really allowed back at MIST."

Kim sighed. "What did you do?"

"We sorta burned down the new dean's office."

"For talking bad about you because you got arrested."

"So you burned the building down?" Kim asked.

"Well originally, it was just gonna be a paint bomb..."

"But some of the wires might have gotten crossed."

"That's... slightly better, I guess." Kim said. "Aside from that, anything interesting happen since I've been gone? Any villain stuff?"

"It's been pretty quiet for a while."

"And Wade hasn't found anything weird going on."

"Speaking of Wade, what's he up to right now?" Kim asked.

"Oh, he's zoned out in some coding thing." Ron said. "I don't know what it's for, but he's not really answering anyone right now."

"It's fine, we'll have other chances to talk." Kim waved it off. "Are you doing alright?"

"Eh, been better, been worse, you know how it is."

"Yeah, what about Yori? Are you guys still together?"

"Oh, yeah, we're doin' great." Ron smiled. "She's actually moving here in a few days."

"That's great, Ron. Listen, I gotta go, but I'll call you again, alright."

"Alright, KP, talk to you later." The call ended, and Dr. Hart stowed the phone away.

Kim sat up straight and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "So, what do you say we pick up where we left off?"

"I certainly won't object to that."

* * *

"Alright, you've got exactly three seconds to get out here before I torch this place with you in it!"

"Wait!" Kim threw the door open, and the three of them stood in silence for what felt like forever before it was broken by the newcomer.

"You actually came..." Shego said.

"Of course I did." Kim frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, I didn't doubt you would." Shego said, taking a seat in a nearby chair. Kim eyed her worriedly, noticing a pronounced limp, as well as bandages wrapped around her midsection and right leg, just below the knee, easily visible with her outfit of a tank top and shorts. "You've got too much of a messiah complex not to; I just didn't know if you'd get here first."

"First... Who else is looking for you? Is it Drakken? I thought he'd be here, too."

Shego's expression turned, looking defeated in a way Kim hadn't seen before. "Drakken is... Drakken's dead, Kim."

"Shego, I... I'm sorry. What happened? And why did you guys just up and disappear like that?"

"Look I'd love to give you an explanation but- Shit!" Shego hissed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Aagh! This isn't really a good time to stand around twiddling our thumbs; we need to get back to the states, asap. You do have a ride, don't you?"

"Yeah, let me just ping Wade." Kim input the commands on the Kimmunicator, standing to address both Shego and Ron as soon as she was finished. "There's a suitable clearing a couple hundred yards from here. Can you walk that far, Shego?"

"I'm injured, not dead."

"Good, we need to get moving, then; they'll be here in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Shego whispered.

"I'm going to the location Wade sent." Kim explained, displaying the map on her wrist.

"Why are we whispering?" Ron asked.

"Seriously?" Shego raised an eyebrow. "Did you guys just not have to go through anybody when you came to... find... me... Son of a bitch!" She yelled, slinging energy in random directions. "Get the hell out here where I can see you!"

Her call was answered in short order when man wearing a ballistic vest and wielding an assault rifle came out of hiding from the trees, his weapon trained on the group.

"Put your hands in the air!" His accent sounded somewhat similar to Russian, but was otherwise unfamiliar to Kim, which, while not as important a detail in that moment, still struck her as odd, given how much of the world she'd seen in her career as a hero.

Before she could do anything about the current situation, however, Shego beat her to the punch, or rather, plasma blast, as she took down the would-be attacker with a well-placed shot between the eyes, leaving him to fall, unmoving, to the forest floor. Kim stared at him for a minute, seeing no signs of movement, of life. She turned to Shego, eyes wide.

"Shego, is he..."

"Dead? Yeah, and if we don't want to follow his example, I suggest we get moving before more of them show up!"

"Yeah, yeah we should... we should move..." Kim's voice sounded hollow, even to her. She tore her eyes away from the somewhat grizzly sight, now much more eager to get out of there.

* * *

"And that was the first death you'd witnessed up to that point?" Dr. Hart asked.

"Yep." Kim said, putting a pop on the last letter. "Needless to say, it was a major turning point in my life. Not to be melodramatic or anything, but I think that really was the beginning of the end of how I used to handle things as a hero."

* * *

They made it into the clearing just in time to see a small VTOL aircraft descending into view, boarding it as soon as it landed.

The pilot seemed surprised at their additional passenger, but refrained from asking any questions, much to both Kim and Shego's relief. Taking their seats next to each other toward the back of the vehicle, Ron read the room and sat up front chatting up the pilot. The flight was relatively quiet for some time until Shego was once again the one to break the silence.

"Are you gonna stare at me the whole way back to Middleton?"

"Sorry." Kim said, looking away, cheeks stained red. "So, can you tell me how you got hurt, at least?"

"I got shot." Shego said bluntly. "Which reminds me, I'm gonna need you to take me to your mom to get this shit out."

"Shego, she's a neurosurgeon; there are general surgeons at the hospital."

Shego sighed, wrapping her arm around Kim's shoulders, further increasing the blood flow to her face. "Listen, Kim, there's a lot going on you don't know about; my past is about to come back to bite me in the ass full force, and right now, the only thing the world is going to care about is that my parole is officially nullified. There aren't a lot of people I can trust not to stab me in the back."

"Well, you have me, and Ron, I can't really speak for his parents, but mine definitely have experience keeping secrets. Just tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to help you."

"What I need?" Shego asked. "Right now, the only thing I need is a drink and a proper bed; three days of living in the jungle eating MRE's is more than enough for one lifetime."

"Wait three?" Kim asked. "But it's been-" Shego held up a hand to stop her.

"Like I said, now's not the time for explanations; after I get fixed up, alright?"

"Alright."

* * *

The familiar beeping chime emanating from her wrist startled both Kim and Shego awake, the former quickly answering the call.

"Uh, sorry, didn't realize you were asleep, but I have some... potentially worrying news."

"How worrying?" Kim yawned.

"Your house is being staked out by government officials." Wade stated flatly.

"So very worrying, then." Kim thought on it for a moment. "Hey Eddy," she called to the front. "is this thing stealth capable?"

"The best there is." He answered, flipping a series of switches. "Just tell me where we're landin'."

"Wade, can you jam their equipment?"

"Already done."

The next ten minutes or so were arguably more stressful for Kim than having a loaded weapon aimed at her face, but it seemed that they had made it in undetected. Eddy landed them in Kim's backyard, and there was no discernible change in the black van presumably keeping surveillance on the house.

However, they weren't in the clear just yet. As soon as the group entered the house, they were met with the fierce, questioning gaze of Dr. Ann Possible.

"Uh, hey, Mom, what are you doing up?"

"Your father and I are taking shifts making sure your brothers don't fire any 'warning missiles' at the men spying on our house. I assume it isn't a coincidence they showed up as soon as you went looking for Shego?"

"Probably not, but first, can you perform a bullet removal here at the house?"

"Two, actually." Shego said. "And I don't think they were normal rounds."

"Oh! Of course, uh, why don't you come into the living room and lie down on the table. Kim, I need my bag from my room, and Ron, would you... Um, Shego, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with your particular biological, er, abnormalities. Is your immune system also enhanced?"

"As far as I can tell. By the way, sedatives are a no-go unless you've got enough to put down an elephant, can I get a belt to bite on?"

"Right, Ron, put some water on to boil, and grab a belt from the hall closet." She cleared off the coffee table to make room, and helped Shego take off her bandages before letting her get situated on the surface to examine her injuries. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you're capable of dressing a wound this well."

"Comes with the territory when you make a living robbing high profile candidates."

"Indeed."

"Hey Mom, here's your..." Kim walked in, seeing Shego in her state of mild undress. Though she was lying on her stomach, her tank top had been pulled up to her shoulders, and Kim could make out the well-defined muscles in her back. "Uh, here's your bag, and the belt. Ron's getting the water started." She forced herself to keep eye contact with her mother.

"What's wrong with you? You scared of blood?" Shego asked.

"No, I'm... I'm fine. Nothing is, nothing is wrong with me. I'll just, be in my room until you're done."

* * *

Kim was tracing a ditch into her bedroom floor, scrolling through her contacts, trying to figure out who would be the best person to call for advice about her current dilemma. Ron wasn't really... emotionally sensitive, and Monique didn't seem to be taking it seriously, and she was probably asleep right now, anyway.

Her mother? Maybe, but now was definitely a bad time, and her dad was universally awkward about her relationships and anything to do with them. Though there was another Possible she could ask, she just hoped it wasn't too early to call.

The line rang a few times before the call was picked up. "Hello Kim, what can I do for you on this fine morning?"

"Hi Nana, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not at all. In fact, I was just finishing up my morning jog. What is it you need?"

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something kind of... personal."

"Oh, of course; I'm always willing to lend an ear."

"Alright, I have, uh, let me think about this... Okay, so, you had a pretty wild youth, right?"

"I should certainly think so." Kim heard her grandmother laugh. "Yes, my younger years were filled with quite a bit of adventure."

"Yeah, and a lifestyle like that, you meet a lot of interesting people, probably had some interesting relationships, right?"

"Oh yes, there were a fair few people I connected with before I met your grandfather."

"Right, so, um, were any," Kim swallowed the lump in her throat. "were any of them... women?"

"Ah, I think I see where this conversation is going." Kim could hear the smile in her grandmother's voice. "To answer your question, yes, though it was a bit more of a challenge to make something like that work when I was your age. I'm going to take a guess and say you're having some confusing feelings, correct?"

"Yeah, I was kind of hoping you could tell me how you realized you were... into women."

"Well, it wasn't some sudden epiphany where I woke up and discovered I swung both ways if that's what you were thinking. It was quite a lengthy process, a lot of little realizations and things over several months. When I finally figured it out, I found I was much happier knowing and embracing that part of me. Don't deny yourself potential happiness, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Nana, I really appreciate this. I'll keep what you said in mind, too."

"Anytime, Kim. By the way, may I ask who she is?"

"Oh, it's, uh, it's Shego. I saw her shirtless just before I called you."

"Well, that's understandable, I'm sure you're not the first girl to question her sexuality because of her."

"You know, my friend Monique said something similar. I'm gonna go, but thanks again, this was really insightful." Her grandmother bid her goodbye and Kim put the phone away, letting herself fall onto her bed with a sigh. "Maybe they're all right. And really, what's the harm if they are? It's not exactly a taboo these days. What do you think, pandaroo?" She held the fading stuffed animal above her, looking for answers that wouldn't come.

A knock at her door interrupted the pseudo conversation, and perhaps unsurprisingly, her mother was on the other side.

"Hey, finished already?"

"Mhm. It was simple enough to remove the rounds, but she was right about them being unusual. Why don't you come downstairs, and we can all figure out what's going on."

* * *

The four of them were seated in the Possibles' living room, Kim and Ron on the sofa together, and Mrs. Possible in a nearby armchair usually occupied by her husband, while Shego stood before them, on the opposite side of a newly damaged coffee table.

"Okay, before we begin, you should all know those were tracking rounds they hit me with, but I wouldn't worry too much if that jammer the geek sent out was any good."

"Shego you know his name." Kim crossed her arms. "You two have talked about computer stuff plenty of times."

Shego rolled her eyes. "Fine, if the jammer that Wade sent out was any good. Now, how much do any of you know about my life before we met?"

"Only how you and your siblings got your powers." Kim answered. "And that you used to be a hero."

"Eh, I considered myself to be more of an anti-hero, but I'm getting ahead of myself. After our treehouse was reduced to ash by pride rock-"

"I thought it was a comet." Ron said.

"A rainbow comet, Ron." Kim pointed out.

"Ooohh, I get it."

"Well, technically it would be a meteorite if it made impact." Ann said.

"Ahem!" Shego said loudly, getting three muttered apologies. "Anyway, we didn't just immediately go from being orphaned and almost killed to saving a city; Uncle Sam had other ideas. As soon as we were well enough to get out of bed, they moved us to a training facility to make us into soldiers. Of course, they didn't tell us that outright; my brothers thought they were just going to teach us to control our powers and let us go home, but I've never taken well to brainwashing." She scowled at the memory.

Kim looked at her worriedly. "Shego, it's... it's okay. You don't have to say anymore if you don't want to."

Shego exhaled deeply. "I know, but if you're going to help me, then I want you to know the whole story."

"...Alright, if you're sure." Kim still frowned.

"It's fine, believe me." She gave Kim a warm smile before continuing. "We were there for five years. A couple weeks after I turned sixteen, the place was raided and shut down, and we were left to our own devices. Hugo took up security work, and it was enough to get by, barely, but after a few months, I was tired of living like shit."

Ann cleared her throat then, giving her a look only a mother could muster.

Shego sighed dramatically. "I can see where Kimmie gets it from. As I was saying, I got fed up with the way life was going, so I decided to do something about it. I started out just stealing from people who could afford it; there were more than a few well-off individuals in our city. After about half a year, I guess I got a little too confident, and I slipped up during a job. Thought I was fu... screwed... when the guy caught me. Turns out he was impressed with my 'talents' and wanted to hire me. Really seemed like life was good for once, things were going my way, and my older brother even pretended not to notice just how much money I was bringing home."

"Apparently, though, I wasn't the only one doing stuff on the side. Hugo had been acting as a vigilante for a year or so, and got his 'big break' so to speak after he saved the mayor and his family in a shootout. After that, he got us officially set up as the city's personal family of heroes. With the amount of funding we got, I didn't need to keep up the work I'd been doing. For a while, we were happy. There was no shortage of villains and criminals for us to stop. But eventually, I got tired of dealing with the same people over and over and over again. I started getting more aggressive in our fights, and after a particularly brutal encounter with one of the usual from our rogues gallery, I was given an ultimatum: Ease up, or leave the team."

"It seemed like a pretty easy choice; I was even ready to try anger management classes." Shego laughed. "Until I saw an ad for a right-hand henchman. A guy calling himself 'Dr. Drakken' was looking for a personal bodyguard, and he was different from the costumed losers I'd been fighting up to then. He wasn't trying to take over a city, he was after the world, and willing to pay big time for the job. Back then, I thought I'd hit the jackpot, until after I'd already signed the contract and discovered the actual nature of his schemes. I was disappointed for a while, and thought I'd end up hating it, but I realized something. I never cared about the whole 'Heroes and Villains' thing. What I really enjoyed was stealing, and being able to fight people the way I wanted."

"And that's why you stayed on with Drakken?" Kim asked. "Even though his plans always failed?"

"At first. I was able to relax into the routine for a while, until you showed up. After you beat Drakken for the first time, I had a new reason to keep doing his dirty work. I couldn't let you get to be better than me, after all."

"So what does this have to do with what's happening now?"

"Evidently, when we were 'rescued' they didn't destroy the files they had on me and my brothers, they were just hidden. At least, they were until recently. About a week ago, me and Dr. D were ambushed. They hit me with something powerful, and when I came to, they..." Her voice cracked audibly then. "They executed Drew right in front of me."

"Shego..." Kim said quietly, moving to stand.

"I'm fine." She waved her off, and Kim sat back down hesitantly. "After that, I spent the next forty hours straight being poked, prodded, and studied. These guys were definitely professionals, it usually only takes me a few hours to escape, but I found my opportunity soon enough. The hard part was finding information on them. Right now, all I know is that they stole the files from the old facility, and that they have no interest in my brothers."

"So what's the plan?"

Shego sat down on the table, looking as tired as she must have felt. "I don't have a plan. I didn't even want to bring you into this, but I had no choice. I need somewhere I can lay low until I can come up with something."

"What about Global Justice?" Kim suggested. "If I explain the situation to Dr. Director-"

"Not gonna work, Betty's been gunning for me for years. I don't know what stopped her from sending a team after me in the past, but I do know she has legal grounds to take me in by force now. She only wants the same thing these other guys do: to make me another weapon in her arsenal."

"Hey." Kim stood fully this time, setting a hand on Shego's shoulder. "I'm not gonna let that happen. Whoever's after you is going to have to go through me first."

"And me." Ron added, getting a wide smile from Kim, and a smaller one from Shego.

"Mom, is it okay if she stays here?"

"I don't think that will be problem."

"What, just like that?" Shego asked tentatively. "You don't think it will be a problem letting a criminal stay in your house?"

"Hardly. I know my daughter better than to think she wouldn't just go along with you either way, and I'd prefer knowing she's safe here over running from the authorities out God know where. Besides, I'm a doctor; I can't just sit idly by and knowingly let you get hurt."

"And what about when those authorities come to you? They'll eventually start shooting with something other than cameras, ya' know."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. After the house was destroyed in the invasion, Wade and my sons took the opportunity to increase security for us. It would take a veritable army to march on this building unwelcome."

* * *

"Your mother certainly has interesting priorities." Dr. Hart said. "But are you certain Shego would be alright with you sharing her story like that?"

"If I know her as well as I think I do, I'm pretty sure she'd be okay with it, given the circumstances. And anyway, it's not something she actively hides these days; she just doesn't bring it up herself."

"Interesting." She pulled out her phone again. "It would appear we're out of time for today. I suppose you have another request?"

"Well, if you're offering, how 'bout a radio? Not that staring at metal walls all day isn't fabulous entertainment."

"I think that can be arranged." Dr. Hart gathered her things and exited the room, spotting Agent Du a few yards away talking to another Global Justice operative. She sighed. "This case is going to turn my hair grey before the end of it."

* * *

**A/N: Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the wait. Also, I hope it's not too infodumpy... Anywho, the next chapter will not take anywhere near as long if I can help it. Hope to see you there!**


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